AN ELECTRODYNAMIC CONNECTION

Starting from a first principles basis deformation of a Riemannian man ifold, a new affine connection is derived that contains both gravitati onal and electromagnetic fields on equal footing term for term. Using this connection, it is shown that parallel transport of the tangent ve ctor on a curve yields the Lorentz force equation for a changed partic le, while transport of the normal vector yields the equation of motion for a classical spin including the covariant Thomas precession. Furth ermore, the new electrodynamic connection exactly satisfies the form a nd the compatibility criteria for the general non-symmetric connection sought by Schrodinger for his affine field theory. The results of the present work are shown to be equivalent to introducing an electrodyna mic torsion on the manifold thus rendering it non-Riemannian. The new connection may serve to illuminate the geometry of electrodynamics.